The Penitential Psalms: Psalm 37/2: Verse 6

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Verse 6 of Psalm 37 offers us some possible lessons about how the important link between body and our state of mind.

Text

The first section of the psalm describes the psalmists sorry state, as God’s arrows, or chastisements rain down upon him. In verse 6 he says:

Miser factus sum, et curvátus sum usque in finem: * tota die contristátus ingrediébar.

The Douay-Rheims renders this as:

“I have become miserable, and am bowed down even to the end: I walked sorrowful all the day long”

Miser means wretched or miserable, so the first phrase is literally, I have been made wretched. The verb curvare means to bend, bow, or bow down, so the next phrase is I am bowed down. Usque ad finem ad finem literally means until the end, so can be interpreted as until death, however the neo-Vulgate follows St Jerome’s translation from the Hebrew in substituting ‘nimis’ here, so 'utterly bowed down' is probably the better rendering. The second half of the verse is more straightforward: it says I walked around (ingrediebar) all day (tota die) sorrowful (contritatus).

The link between mind and body

6	V	Miser factus sum, et curvátus sum usque in finem: * tota die contristátus ingrediébar.
	NV	Inclinatus sum et incurvatus nimis; tota die contristatus ingrediebar
	JH	Adflictus sum et incuruatus sum nimis; tota die maerens ambulabam;

The Douay-Rheims renders this as: “I have become miserable, and am bowed down even to the end: I walked sorrowful all the day long.” Miser means wretched or miserable, so the first phrase is literally, I have been made wretched. The verb curvare means to bend, bow, or bow down, so the next phrase is I am bowed down. Usque ad finem ad finem literally means until the end, so can be interpreted as until death, however the neo-Vulgate follows St Jerome’s translation from the Hebrew in substituting ‘nimis’ here, so 'utterly bowed down' is probably the better rendering. The second half of the verse is more straightforward: it says I walked around (ingrediebar) all day (tota die) sorrowful (contritatus).

miser, era, erum, wretched, miserable

curvo, avi, atum, are (curvus), to bend, bow, bow down

finis, is, m., a boundary, limit, border; territory.  usque in finem =  utterly, altogether; or, always, forever

contristo, avi, atum, are to make sad or sorrowful, to sadden, cast down.

ingredior, gressus sum, gredi to enter, to go or come in; to walk, go about.

DR	I have become miserable, and am bowed down even to the end: I walked sorrowful all the day long.
Brenton	I have been wretched and bowed down continually: I went with a mourning countenance all the day.
MD	I am depressed and bowed down exceedingly, I go about sorrowful all the day long.
RSV	I am utterly bowed down and prostrate; all the day I go about mourning.
Cover	I am brought into so great trouble and misery, that I go mourning all the day long.

The searing descriptions of the psalmist’s plight in the first half of this psalm, including this verse, point to the importance of the connection between mind and body.

These days it is fashionable to reject the importance of bodily gestures such as genuflecting, kneeling and custody of the eyes. Rather than being seen as tools to remind our minds of what we should be feeling and focusing on, they are often seen as signs of empty, even dangerous ritualism. Yet Scripture often reminds us, as this verse, that what we feel in our minds affects our bodies and vice versa.

If we feel true remorse for our sins then, we should indeed be literally bowed down, so ashamed that one can scarcely bare to lift up our eyes to heaven. St Robert Bellarmine comments:

“As regards the punishment, the passage may apply to that also; for the man guilty of sins of this class becomes "miserable, and is bowed down" very much, by remorse of conscience, by fear of God's anger, and by the shame that so humbles and confounds him, that he has not the courage to raise his eyes to heaven. Both constructions of it can be united in this way. I am become miserable by reason of my sin, and the punishment consequent on it, and very much bowed down, because I have turned to carnal and groveling pleasure the face of that soul I should have fixed upon God; through shame, I dare not look up to heaven, and, thus humble and abject, I am forced to look upon the ground, and for all these reasons "I walked sorrowful all the day long," my conscience always reproving and accusing one; for what pleasure can the wretch feel once he becomes cognizant of his own wretchedness.”

In the context of Lent, the penitential psalms, for example are traditionally said kneeling (as are the prayers at each of the hours of the Office).

And more generally, St Benedict teaches his monks and nuns to maintain custody of the eyes using this verse in order to manifest outwardly his or her inner humility:

“…he should always have his head bowed and his eyes toward the ground. Feeling the guilt of his sins at every moment, he should consider himself already present at the dread Judgment and constantly say in his heart what the publican in the Gospel said with his eyes fixed on the earth: "Lord, I am a sinner and not worthy to lift up my eyes to heaven" (Luke 18:13; Matt. 8:8); and again with the Prophet: "I am bowed down and humbled everywhere".

Psalm 37: Domine, ne in furore 

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
Psalmus David, in rememorationem de sabbato.	A psalm for David, for a remembrance of the sabbath.
1 Dómine, ne in furóre tuo árguas me, * neque in ira tua corrípias me.	1 Rebuke me not, O Lord, in your indignation; nor chastise me in your wrath.
2  Quóniam sagíttæ tuæ infíxæ sunt mihi: * et confirmásti super me manum tuam.	2 For your arrows are fastened in me: and your hand has been strong upon me.
3  Non est sánitas in carne mea a fácie iræ tuæ: * non est pax óssibus meis a fácie peccatórum meórum.	3 There is no health in my flesh, because of your wrath: there is no peace for my bones, because of my sins.
4  Quóniam iniquitátes meæ supergréssæ sunt caput meum: * et sicut onus grave gravátæ sunt super me.	4 For my iniquities have gone over my head: and as a heavy burden have become heavy upon me.
5 Putruérunt et corrúptæ sunt cicatríces meæ, * a fácie insipiéntiæ meæ.	5 My sores are putrefied and corrupted, because of my foolishness.
6  Miser factus sum, et curvátus sum usque in finem: * tota die contristátus ingrediébar.	6 I have become miserable, and am bowed down even to the end: I walked sorrowful all the day long.
7  Quóniam lumbi mei impléti sunt illusiónibus: * et non est sánitas in carne mea.	7 For my loins are filled with illusions; and there is no health in my flesh.
8  Afflíctus sum, et humiliátus sum nimis: * rugiébam a gémitu cordis mei.	8 I am afflicted and humbled exceedingly: I roared with the groaning of my heart.
9  Dómine, ante te omne desidérium meum: * et gémitus meus a te non est abscónditus.	9 Lord, all my desire is before you, and my groaning is not hidden from you.
10  Cor meum conturbátum est, derelíquit me virtus mea: * et lumen oculórum meórum, et ipsum non est mecum.	10 My heart is troubled, my strength has left me, and the light of my eyes itself is not with me.
11  Amíci mei, et próximi mei * advérsum me appropinquavérunt, et stetérunt.	11 My friends and my neighbours have drawn near, and stood against me.
12  Et qui juxta me erant, de longe stetérunt: * et vim faciébant qui quærébant ánimam meam.	12 And they that were near me stood afar off: And they that sought my soul used violence.
13  Et qui inquirébant mala mihi, locúti sunt vanitátes: * et dolos tota die meditabántur.	13 And they that sought evils to me spoke vain things, and studied deceits all the day long.
14  Ego autem tamquam surdus non audiébam: * et sicut mutus non apériens os suum.	14 But I, as a deaf man, heard not: and as a dumb man not opening his mouth.
15  Et factus sum sicut homo non áudiens: * et non habens in ore suo redargutiónes.	15 And I became as a man that hears not: and that has no reproofs in his mouth.
16  Quóniam in te, Dómine, sperávi: * tu exáudies me, Dómine, Deus meus.	16 For in you, O Lord, have I hoped: you will hear me, O Lord my God.
17  Quia dixi: Nequándo supergáudeant mihi inimíci mei: * et dum commovéntur pedes mei, super me magna locúti sunt.	17 For I said: Lest at any time my enemies rejoice over me: and whilst my feet are moved, they speak great things against me.
18  Quóniam ego in flagélla parátus sum: * et dolor meus in conspéctu meo semper.	18 For I am ready for scourges: and my sorrow is continually before me.
19  Quóniam iniquitátem meam annuntiábo: * et cogitábo pro peccáto meo.	19 For I will declare my iniquity: and I will think for my sin.
20  Inimíci autem mei vivunt, et confirmáti sunt super me: * et multiplicáti sunt qui odérunt me iníque.	20 But my enemies live, and are stronger than I: and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied.
21  Qui retríbuunt mala pro bonis, detrahébant mihi: * quóniam sequébar bonitátem.	21 They that render evil for good, have detracted me, because I followed goodness.
22  Ne derelínquas me, Dómine, Deus meus: * ne discésseris a me.	22 Forsake me not, O Lord my God: do not depart from me.
23  Inténde in adjutórium meum, * Dómine, Deus, salútis meæ.	23 Attend unto my help, O Lord, the God of my salvation.

And you can find the next set of notes on Psalm 37 here.

The Penitential Psalms: Introduction to Psalm 37

*Folio 67v
http://www.metmuseum.org/

The third penitential psalm is Psalm 37, shares the same opening verse with Psalm 6, 'Rebuke me not, O Lord, in thy indignation'.  It is a plea for the remission of our sins.  Psalm 37 is particularly important for us today I think, because it deals with an unfashionable consequence of sin, namely punishment.

The text

Psalm 37: Domine, ne in furore

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
Psalmus David, in rememorationem de sabbato.	A psalm for David, for a remembrance of the sabbath.
1 Dómine, ne in furóre tuo árguas me, * neque in ira tua corrípias me.	1 Rebuke me not, O Lord, in your indignation; nor chastise me in your wrath.
2  Quóniam sagíttæ tuæ infíxæ sunt mihi: * et confirmásti super me manum tuam.	2 For your arrows are fastened in me: and your hand has been strong upon me.
3  Non est sánitas in carne mea a fácie iræ tuæ: * non est pax óssibus meis a fácie peccatórum meórum.	3 There is no health in my flesh, because of your wrath: there is no peace for my bones, because of my sins.
4  Quóniam iniquitátes meæ supergréssæ sunt caput meum: * et sicut onus grave gravátæ sunt super me.	4 For my iniquities have gone over my head: and as a heavy burden have become heavy upon me.
5 Putruérunt et corrúptæ sunt cicatríces meæ, * a fácie insipiéntiæ meæ.	5 My sores are putrefied and corrupted, because of my foolishness.
6  Miser factus sum, et curvátus sum usque in finem: * tota die contristátus ingrediébar.	6 I have become miserable, and am bowed down even to the end: I walked sorrowful all the day long.
7  Quóniam lumbi mei impléti sunt illusiónibus: * et non est sánitas in carne mea.	7 For my loins are filled with illusions; and there is no health in my flesh.
8  Afflíctus sum, et humiliátus sum nimis: * rugiébam a gémitu cordis mei.	8 I am afflicted and humbled exceedingly: I roared with the groaning of my heart.
9  Dómine, ante te omne desidérium meum: * et gémitus meus a te non est abscónditus.	9 Lord, all my desire is before you, and my groaning is not hidden from you.
10  Cor meum conturbátum est, derelíquit me virtus mea: * et lumen oculórum meórum, et ipsum non est mecum.	10 My heart is troubled, my strength has left me, and the light of my eyes itself is not with me.
11  Amíci mei, et próximi mei * advérsum me appropinquavérunt, et stetérunt.	11 My friends and my neighbours have drawn near, and stood against me.
12  Et qui juxta me erant, de longe stetérunt: * et vim faciébant qui quærébant ánimam meam.	12 And they that were near me stood afar off: And they that sought my soul used violence.
13  Et qui inquirébant mala mihi, locúti sunt vanitátes: * et dolos tota die meditabántur.	13 And they that sought evils to me spoke vain things, and studied deceits all the day long.
14  Ego autem tamquam surdus non audiébam: * et sicut mutus non apériens os suum.	14 But I, as a deaf man, heard not: and as a dumb man not opening his mouth.
15  Et factus sum sicut homo non áudiens: * et non habens in ore suo redargutiónes.	15 And I became as a man that hears not: and that has no reproofs in his mouth.
16  Quóniam in te, Dómine, sperávi: * tu exáudies me, Dómine, Deus meus.	16 For in you, O Lord, have I hoped: you will hear me, O Lord my God.
17  Quia dixi: Nequándo supergáudeant mihi inimíci mei: * et dum commovéntur pedes mei, super me magna locúti sunt.	17 For I said: Lest at any time my enemies rejoice over me: and whilst my feet are moved, they speak great things against me.
18  Quóniam ego in flagélla parátus sum: * et dolor meus in conspéctu meo semper.	18 For I am ready for scourges: and my sorrow is continually before me.
19  Quóniam iniquitátem meam annuntiábo: * et cogitábo pro peccáto meo.	19 For I will declare my iniquity: and I will think for my sin.
20  Inimíci autem mei vivunt, et confirmáti sunt super me: * et multiplicáti sunt qui odérunt me iníque.	20 But my enemies live, and are stronger than I: and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied.
21  Qui retríbuunt mala pro bonis, detrahébant mihi: * quóniam sequébar bonitátem.	21 They that render evil for good, have detracted me, because I followed goodness.
22  Ne derelínquas me, Dómine, Deus meus: * ne discésseris a me.	22 Forsake me not, O Lord my God: do not depart from me.
23  Inténde in adjutórium meum, * Dómine, Deus, salútis meæ.	23 Attend unto my help, O Lord, the God of my salvation.

Context

As can be seen above, Psalm 37 starts by recapitulating the first penitential psalm, Psalm 6’s plea for God not to rebuke the psalmist in his anger, or chastise him in his wrath. But whereas Psalm 6 is a plea for God to act as a physician rather than a judge, the speaker in Psalm 37 knows that he is being punished, and the psalm is actually about the willing acceptance of suffering here and now as punishment for sin.

The psalm vividly describes the sufferings of the psalmist, and deals with how to respond to the enmity of others who rejoice over his humbled state. And his main plea is for vindication in the face of his enemies.

The descriptions of the psalmist's sufferings here have strong echoes of the Book of Job, though unlike Job, King David accepts that the suffering is deserved: he did after all commit both murder and adultery! And on a number of occasions committed sins of pride and anger that incurred severe punishments on both himself and his people.

But these verses also call to mind the suffering servant sequences of Isaiah, and so the psalm can also be applied to those who undertake penance on behalf of others: when we undertake indulgenced acts and apply them to the souls in purgatory for example; to the saints who add to the treasury of merits; and above all, to our Lord.

Three levels of interpretation

Accordingly, this psalm needs to be read on three levels. First, it can be interpreted in the light of the historical situation of its author, King David, who interprets the sufferings he has undergone in his life as just punishments needed to expiate the effects of his sins, yet also longs for God’s forgiveness. As such, it can also be applied, as a second level of meaning, to the events of our own lives, and be seen as a reminder that it is better to accept God’s correction in the form of the events of our life, and do penance now, than to suffer in purgatory. Thirdly though, many of the Fathers and saints interpreted it as a prayer of Christ for the Church: it chronicles Our Lord’s betrayal and suffering to expiate the sins of us all. As such, it can act as a prompt for us to do penance on behalf of others.

Some modern exegetes have questioned the assignment of the psalm to David’s authorship, noting that the picture the psalm paints of a man close to death as a result of a serious illness has no obvious location in his life. However, the traditional approach to this psalm, supported by analysis of the Hebrew, is to interpret the descriptions in the first half of the psalm rather more figuratively than literally (the illustration above depicting David pierced by arrows from God in verse 2, notwithstanding), an approach certainly suggested by the references to God’s arrows in verse 2 which are clearly meant metaphorically rather than literally.  The descriptions, then, are seen as references to the terrible events of David's life such as the death of his son by Bathsheba, the dishonour of his daughter, the death of his son Absalom, the plague that afflicted Israel as a result of David’s decision to take a census of Israel out of pride and without requiring the prescribed offering to the holy places, and so forth.  Thus, the psalmists festering sores and putrefaction then, are spiritual sores hidden from others, but all too visible to God; the humiliations he suffered though, all too visible to his enemies.

As a prayer of Christ for the Church

The Christological explanation of the psalm views the verses about the speaker’s afflicted and troubled state, and sense of weakness, as concerning the Agony in the Garden. The statement that friends and neighbours stood against him, as references to Our Lord’s betrayal and then the flight of the Apostles; and the descriptions of false testimony and plotting against him as the attempts of the Jewish leaders to fabricate a case against Our Lord. Above all though, the verses dealing with the speaker’s response to the attacks on him: his becoming deaf and dumb as a prophesy of Our Lord’s refusal to offer a defense before Herod and Caiaphas, and his subsequent scourging.

Scriptural and liturgical uses of the psalm

NT references	Lk 23:49 (v11); 1 Jn 11-12 (v21)
RB cursus	Monday I, 6
Monastic/(Roman) feasts etc	Good Friday Tenebrae, II, 1; Penitential no3;
Roman pre 1911	Monday Matins
Roman post 1911	1911-62: Tues Matins   . 1970:
Mass propers (EF)	Lent 3 Wed, IN 22-23

And continue on for a look at some of the verses of this psalm, with the next part here.

You can also find some notes on this psalm in the context of the Office of Tenebrae here.

*Belles Heures of Jean de France, duc de Berry, 1405–1408/9. Herman, Paul, and Jean de Limbourg (Franco-Netherlandish, active in France by 1399–1416). French; Made in Paris. Ink, tempera, and gold leaf on vellum; 9 3/8 x 6 5/8 in. (23.8 x 16.8 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, The Cloisters Collection, 1954 (54.1.1).

The Penitential Psalms - Psalm 31/4: On being as stubborn as a mule (verses 11-12)!

It is impossible for me to conclude this mini-series on Psalm 31 without a quick look at my two favourite verses, which deal with our natural instinct to rebel against God's providential guidance of our lives!

God's guidance

Verses 8&9 of Psalm 31 discuss the gifts that God gives to those who repent of their sins, including his guidance and protection.  But verses 11&12 (in the liturgical ordering of the text), which I want to focus on today, contain a warning:

11	V/NV	Nolíte fíeri sicut equus et mulus, * quibus non est intelléctus.
	JH	Nolite fieri sicut equus et mulus in quibus non est intellegentia :
		μὴ γίνεσθε ὡς ἵππος καὶ ἡμίονος οἷς οὐκ ἔστιν σύνεσις

Nolíte fíeri  = be not unwilling to be made = do not be

nolo, nolui, nolle  to be unwilling, not to wish, to refuse.

fio, factus sum, fieri to be made or done, to become, happen.

sicut equus et mulus = like the horse and mule

equus, i. m. a horse.

mulus, i, m., a mule.

quibus non est intelléctus [which he who has not] that have no understanding

intelligo, lexi, lectum, ere 3  understand, give heed to something, to consider

intellectus, us, m.  understanding, insight

DR	Do not become like the horse and the mule, who have no understanding.
Brenton	Be ye not as horse and mule, which have no understanding
MD	Be not like the horse and the mule that have no understanding
Cover	Be ye not like to horse and mule, which have no understanding
Knox	Do not be like the horse and the mule, senseless creatures which will not come near thee unless their spirit is tamed by bit and bridle.

12	V	In camo et freno maxíllas eórum constrínge: * qui non appróximant ad te.
	NV	In camo et freno si accedis ad constringendum, non approximant ad te.
	JH	in camo et freno maxillas eorum constringe, qui non accedunt ad te.
		μὴ γίνεσθε ὡς ἵππος καὶ ἡμίονος οἷς οὐκ ἔστιν σύνεσις

Text notes: The sense is ‘don’t be like an animal that will not come to someone unless controlled by bit and bridle’ – but the underlying text in Latin, Greek and the Hebrew is difficult!

In camo et freno maxíllas eórum constringe = with bit and bridle bind their jaws

*camus, i, m.  a bit, curb

*frenum, i, n., a bridle, curb.

maxilla, ae, f the jawbone, the jaw.

*constringo strinxi, strictum, 3, to bind, fetter, shackle, chain, restrain

qui non appróximant ad te = who do not approach you

approximo, are to approach, draw near to

DR	With bit and bridle bind fast their jaws, who come not near unto you.
Brenton	but thou must constrain their jaws with bit and curb, lest they should come nigh to thee.
MD	With bit and bridle their jaws must be checked or they will not follow thee
RSV	which must be curbed with bit and bridle, else it will not keep with you.
Cover	Whose mouths must be held with bit and bridle, if they will not obey thee
Knox	which will not come near thee unless their spirit is tamed by bit and bridle.

The verses are translated fairly literally in the Douay-Rheims as:

"Do not become like the horse and the mule, who have no understanding. With bit and bridle bind fast their jaws, who come not near unto you."

In terms of the translation, the first phrase, giving us the image of the horse (equus) and mule (mulus) is straightforward.  Intellectus simply means understanding or insight.  The last phrases are a little harder to get but the sense is clear: 'in camo et freno' means with bit and bridle; maxilla means jaw or jawbone; while the verb constringere means to bind together, hold fast, fetter or restrain.  Approximare means to approach or draw near.

The virtue of reason

St Robert Bellarmine explains the verses as follows:

"The Prophet now exhorts all, both good and bad, to learn from his example the evils consequent on sin, and the blessings to be derived from penance and virtue, he having tasted of both. Turning to the wicked first, he says, "Do not become like the horse and the mule, who have no understanding." Endowed with reason, but not guided by your animal propen­sities; be not like the horse and the mule in your licentious desires, as I was; be not like the horse and the mule, in tearing and lashing at your fellow creatures, as I have been in regard of Urias. "With bit and bridle bind fast their jaws, who come not near unto thee." He foretells the calamities in store for those who will act the part of the horse and the mule towards their neighbor. They will be forced by tribulations either to return to God, or will be prevented from injuring their neighbors to the extent they intended; but, as usual, this prophetic warning is expressed as if it were an imprecation. You will force those wicked men to obey you, as you would subdue a horse or a mule, with a bit and bridle, and make them obedient to you. The words bit and bridle are used in a metaphorical sense to signify the crosses and trials that God has sometimes recourse to..."

And that completes this look at Psalm 31.  The next part in this series on the Seven Penitential Psalms is an introduction to Psalm 37.

The Penitential Psalms - Psalm 31/3: Admitting our faults

Folio 66v*
http://www.metmuseum.org/

I want to pick up my Lenten series on the Seven Penitential Psalms today with a look at verse 6 of Psalm 31, which picks up a major theme of the psalm, namely our unfortunate tendency to refuse to not to simply accept that we have sinned, confess it, and move on.

Instead, human nature means that we either continue blithely ignoring the fact of our sin; try and persuade ourselves that we haven't sinned really; or persuade ourselves that our sin is not really that serious.

The sentiment also though has application for most of us, I think not just in relation to serious sins, but also in relation to those personality faults, failures and weaknesses that we all know we should work on - but do our best to try not to think about!

The verse

6	V/NV	Dixi: confitébor advérsum me injustítiam meam Dómino: * et tu remisísti impietátem peccáti mei.
	JH	Dixi, Confitebor scelus meum Domino; et tu dimisisti iniquitatem peccati mei.
	Septuagint	τὴν ἀνομίαν μου τῷ κυρίῳ καὶ σὺ ἀφῆκας τὴν ἀσέβειαν τῆς ἁμαρτίας μου διάψαλμα

Note that the Neo-Vulgate (NV) is identical to the older form of the text, despite it differing somewhat from St Jerome's take on the Hebrew (JH).

adversus or adversum, prep, with ace against; in the presence of, over against, before.

confiteor, fessus sum, eri 2 to praise, give thanks; to confess, acknowledge one's guilt.

injustitia, ae,   injustice, iniquity, sin..

remitto, misi, missum, ere 3,  to forgive, pardon, remit; to send or give back, return

impietas, atis, sin, misdeed, transgression; impiety, wickedness.

peccatum, i, n. sin, failure, error , perversion, going astray

DR	I said I will confess against my self my injustice to the Lord: and you have forgiven the wickedness of my sin.
Brenton	I said, I will confess mine iniquity to the Lord against myself; and thou forgavest the ungodliness of my heart.
MD	I said: I will confess to the Lord my injustice And thou forgavest the guilt of my sin.
RSV	I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD"; then thou didst forgive the guilt of my sin.
Cover	I said, I will confess my sins unto the Lord; and so thou forgavest the wickedness of my sin.
Knox	Fault of mine, said I, I here confess to the Lord; and with that, thou didst remit the guilt of my sin

A literal translation is: "I said: I will confess (confitebor) against myself (adversum me) my injustice (injustitiam meam) to the Lord: and you have remitted (tu remisisti) to me the impiety/wickedness (impietatem) of my sins."  The Douay-Rheims, and translations that mainly follow the Septuagint/Vulgate, translate the second phrase as God forgiving the 'wickedness' of the sin; those taking greater note of the Hebrew Masoretic Text, such as the Monastic Diurnal (MD), Revised Standard Version and Knox, see it as remitting the guilt of the sin involved.

The process of conversion

By way of commentary on the verses, I want to offer first St John Chrysostom's take on this verse in the process of conversion:

"Would you like me to list also the paths of repentance? They are numerous and quite varied, and all lead to heaven.  A first path of repentance is the condemnation of your own sins: Be the first to admit your sins and you will be justified. For this reason, too, the prophet wrote: I said: I will accuse myself of my sins to the Lord, and you forgave the wickedness of my heart. Therefore, you too should condemn your own sins; that will be enough reason for the Lord to forgive you, for a man who condemns his own sins is slower to commit them again. Rouse your conscience to accuse you within your own house, lest it become your accuser before the judgment seat of the Lord..."

The renewal of our baptism

Secondly, Pope Benedict XVI stressed in a message for Lent the connection between Lent and our baptism. In his catechesis on this psalm Pope John Paul II reflects this idea, saying:

"St Cyril of Jerusalem (fourth century) uses Psalm 32[31] to teach catechumens of the profound renewal of Baptism, a radical purification from all sin (cf. Procatechesi, n. 15). Using the words of the Psalmist, he too exalts divine mercy. We end our catechesis with his words: "God is merciful and is not stingy in granting forgiveness.... The mountain of your sins will not rise above the greatness of God's mercy, the depth of your wounds will not overcome the skilfulness of the "most high' Doctor: on condition that you abandon yourself to him with trust. Make known your evil to the Doctor, and address him with the words of the prophet David: "I will confess to the Lord the sin that is always before me'. In this way, these words will follow: "You have forgiven the ungodliness of my heart'" (Le Catechesi, Rome, 1993, pp. 52-53)."

And you can find the next part of this series on Psalm 31 here.

*(Illustration at top: Belles Heures of Jean de France, duc de Berry, 1405–1408/9. Herman, Paul, and Jean de Limbourg (Franco-Netherlandish, active in France by 1399–1416). French; Made in Paris. Ink, tempera, and gold leaf on vellum; 9 3/8 x 6 5/8 in. (23.8 x 16.8 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 

New York, The Cloisters Collection, 1954 (54.1.1).)